


To the moon and back

by sarnath



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 05:29:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13606542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarnath/pseuds/sarnath
Summary: After the upheavals of AC 195 and 196, the pilots have spread throughout the colonies. Quatre invites Duo to visit him on Earth, and Duo happily agrees. But there might be more to the invitation than a simple holiday.





	To the moon and back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arsenic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/gifts).



Duo walked through the busy, but small, space port at a leisurely pace. A former military base operated by OZ, it was now catering to the many travellers to and from Earth. The travellers who could afford it, anyway. Duo took in the well-pressed business suits, occasional private security, and the well-bred modulated voices of his fellow shuttle passengers with an amused little smile. The upper classes longing for space had finally got their chance with the restrictions of the former Earth Sphere Alliance lifted.

‘Duo!’

A voice he at first couldn’t quite place called out to him, in a tone perfectly modulated to catch his attention, but not unduly disturb the soft curtain of sound that the crowd around him produced. He turned around and faced a familiar blond figure.

‘Quatre! Good to see you again!’ He walked the few steps separating them and clasped his friend’s hand warmly. Quatre squeezed back and smiled. From a slighter farther distance than the last time they’d met.

‘Shit, you grew tall! We just saw each other....’

‘Six months ago’ , Quatre answered mildly in that slightly deepened voice that had confused Duo for a moment. ‘And you’re also taller’ he went on as he gestured for them to start walking.

‘Yeah, but you’ve grown, like, three times as much.’ He gave Quatre a closer look. ‘Are you eating enough? You look kinda skinny.’

‘It’s the growth spurt. You might get one yourself, you know. We’re only seventeen.’ 

‘One lives in hope.’

They’d reached the passage to the shuttle train that connected the space port with several of the larger cities in the greater geographical area, including their destination: Baghdad. Quatre scanned the tickets at the gate, and led Duo down a set of escalators and along the platform to the first class waiting room. It was small but comfortable, with two sofas on each side of a small table, some armchairs, and a refrigerator with bottled water and other refreshments. On one wall was the display showing the shuttle train’s arrivals and departure times for various destinations. Duo immediately sat down in one of the comfortable sofas and leaned back.

‘you’d think I wouldn’t want to sit any time soon after being in a seat for all that time, but I’m so damn tired!’

‘It’s quite a trip from L2,’ said Quatre and gave him a bottle of water. ‘Here, it’ll make you feel better.’ He sat down opposite Duo. ‘Sometimes inaction can be much more draining than the most strenuous of exertions.’

Duo looked at him sideways. ‘Sure does.’ He hesitated. Drank more of the water. Finally he started,

‘Hey, I want to say thanks again for inviting me. I could never have afforded the trip myself.’

Quatre waved it away. ‘You know it’s not a problem for me. If you’d let me, I could do a lot more. I’ve tried more than once,’ he said with a crooked smile. Duo stretched and sighed.

‘Yeah, but it would feel weird, you know? And I don’t really need anything, we’re pretty successful, me and Hilde. Space travel is just on a whole different level.’

Quatre leaned forward. ‘I know!’ he said with sudden excitement. ‘And I-‘

At that moment a soft chime interrupted him, and he looked at the display on the wall. ‘Ah, here’s our train. But it’s about what I implied in my message. I want your help with something. Something I think could be very important.’

Duo was immediately on alert. ‘Are you in danger? Anything going on?’ He looked around. ‘I assumed the tail was just your security-‘

‘No, no,’ said Qutre bracingly, ‘no. Don’t worry. Come, let’s get on the train.’ The train was just coming to a stop as they left the waiting room, and the doors to the first class sections were soon opening. ‘And yes, he’s my security, Rashid always makes sure of at least one close by and two or more ready on standby a bit further off.’

Duo was relaxing a bit, and gave him an amused smile. Don’t they hate you taking public transport? Even when it’s first class? And thanks for that, by the way, it made the trip almost comfortable.’

‘Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it.. And yes, they do hate it, but it’s just so much more comfortable and faster than being stuck in a car. And I enjoy being out with other people every chance I get. Even if it is first class,’ said Quatre with a slightly self-deprecating smile of his own.

They found their seats, two comfortable chairs facing each other over a small table, and sat down.

‘So what’s the deal, then?’ Started Duo. ‘If you’re not in danger... hey, no one else is in danger, are they?’

‘No, nothing like that. It’s about something I want to do, nothing that needs to be stopped. At least I hope not!’

Duo relaxed completely and leaned back. ‘Yeah, all right. So are you going to tell me?’

‘Yes, but I think it’s better to wait until we get home. Just in case. I don’t really think I need to be that careful, but....’

Duo nodded. ‘Hard to shake some habits.’

Quatre also nodded. ‘It didn’t really last long, that sort of life, at least not for me. But certain things leaves its mark no matter how short the time is that you have to live it.’ 

The train started moving, and Quatre turned on the window screen that showed the surface view of the area the high speed underground shuttle was traversing. The first class attendant came to scan their tickets and take any orders for refreshments. Duo and Quatre were soon both sipping large coffees that were really more warm milk than coffee. 

‘You know she also works for me?’ said Quatre and indicated towards where the attendant had passed. ‘Auda will have had replaced the regular one in the interval when the train stopped. Sometimes I wonder if me travelling like this causes too many problems to be really defensible.’

Duo was amused. ‘Poor little rich boy,’ he said.

Quatre grinned. ‘Terrible, isn’t it? And you see why I need you. Drowning in self pity just wouldn’t do.’

‘What about Trowa?’

Quatre looked away. ‘Trowa is working with Lady Une. He visits sometimes.’

Duo said nothing, but looked searchingly at Quatre. After a moment, Quatre sighed and met Duo’s eyes. 

‘It’s really just me feeling sorry for myself again. I miss my friends, and I can’t really go and visit, not without a fairly large security detail, too much planning, and disturbing the work of said friends. And most of you aren’t free to go anywhere at any time either. We all have work to do, and it’s just so frustrating that it keeps us so far apart from each other!’

Duo was quiet for a while, then said:

‘I didn’t know you felt so strongly. I would have come sooner.’

‘Of course I do! I’ve missed our conversations. You always had a way to put everything in such clear perspective.’

‘I did? Duo felt a little stunned at this sudden show of confidence in his good sense. Quatre smiled at him warmly.

‘And I expect no less from you this time. Don’t look so apprehensive! We’ll have fun, I’m sure of it. But look, we’re approaching the city. I live in the outskirts, and a car will be waiting to take us there. Then a bath, some rest, dinner, and then I’ll tell you everything.

***

Quatre did, of course, live in a palace rather than a house, and Duo enjoyed every bit of luxury that came with it. The bath was spacious, the bed was spacious and soft, and the dinner had been the best he’d eaten in his life, as far as he could remember. He’d even had some wine, which he’d never enjoyed before, but which made the food taste even better when he took the small sips of it Quatre showed him. They were joined by Rashid, Abdul and the other Maganacs not currently on security duty, and Duo thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them. Afterwards he and Quatre went out on the terrace where they sat down in two comfortable armchairs that were positioned side by side, to watch the sunset over Tigris. The green palm trees lining the river were swaying slightly in the light evening breeze.

Duo leaned back in the soft chair with a happy sigh. ‘This is the life! 

‘I am happy here. But I miss space. I haven’t been back since we finished work on X-18999.’

They sat quietly for a while, enjoying the view of the river waves turning into warm, rippling copper tones. After a short while Quatre spoke up again.

‘How are things on the colony? How is Hilde? Does she manage all right without you there?’

Duo gave him an amused look. ‘She could easily manage for as long as anything you’re having me do takes, probably.’

Quatre laughed, abashed. ‘All right, maybe that was transparent. But I really do want to be certain that even this short trip isn’t upsetting affairs. Or relationships.’

‘Nothing to worry about there, you can be sure of it. Hilde can run the yard herself for weeks, and if she hired a couple of people she could take it all on completely no problem if she needed to.’ Duo gave Quatre a searching look. ‘Will she be needing to?’

‘Duo!’ Quatre sat up straight and turned to face him completely. ’You don’t even know what I’m going to say!’ 

Duo turned his head to the side and bridged the short gap between them by putting a hand on Quatre’s shoulder. He squeezed lightly. ‘Quatre,’ he said quietly. ‘You know I’ll do anything you ask.’

‘Duo...’ Quatre’s voice was wobbling a little, and Duo squeezed his shoulder again.

‘I trust you. Nothing more to it. I know you won’t be sending me on a crazy lifetime mission to the other end of the solar system.’

‘Well.’ Quatre said, and then paused. ‘Well, no. But I was planning on eventually sending you to Mars.’

Duo was stunned for a moment, and then he started to laugh. As the last rays of the sun disappeared below the horizon, Quatre’s laugh mixed with his and spread across the quiet, peaceful river below.


End file.
